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ROBIN HOOD 

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FRIDAY 16th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’

Prompt CRANK

ROBIN HOOD 

(A villanelle-style poem)
by John Yeo



I was out strolling in the market square
A cranky bandit could clearly be seen
Soon a large crowd had gathered there.

People stopped still and stood to stare
This was an event that couldn’t be a dream
I was out strolling in the market square.

He was handing out cash with more to spare
To the needy poor in a steady stream
Soon a large crowd had gathered there.

People started jostling to get a share
Of free money from the cranky villain 

I was out strolling in the market square.

The cranky villain appeared from nowhere

With his men all matched in Lincoln green

Soon a large crowd had gathered there.

Robbing the rich to feed the poor, unaware
Of his crimes he was rushed off the scene.
I was out strolling in the market square
Soon a large crowd had gathered there.

~

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

CRANK-SHAFTED

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FRIDAY 16th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’ ~ 

Prompt ~ CRANK

CRANK-SHAFTED

 by John Yeo 

  ‘I tell you he’s a cranky old buzzard! Every time one of the local’s dogs pulls on the lead and steps onto his front lawn, he races out of the front door yelling his head off; cursing and waving his arms around. Why doesn’t he invest in a fence alongside the path? In my view, he ought to be locked up before he resorts to violence!’

   Mrs. Manners was annoyed and sounding off at PC Bott. 

    ‘Hmm!’ Said the Constable thoughtfully:  ‘You say he charges out of his door shouting? Has he ever made any direct threats of violence, or actually attacked anyone?’

   ‘Not that I know of,’ replied Mrs. Manners. ‘I will certainly ask around; lots of the neighbours here are fed up with the old rascal.’

  ‘Well, Mrs. Manners, I will have a word with him about this threatening behaviour and see what he has to say, but that is all I can do.’

  ‘I hope you won’t mention my name Constable, I don’t want any trouble, he’s probably mad at me since my husband went for him with a car crank handle. Purely in self-defence, you understand.’

  ‘Your husband did what? Exactly what do you mean by self-defence?’ asked the police officer, suddenly stern in his manner.

    Mrs. Manners hesitated for a moment before she said with tears in her eyes. ‘Well, it happened this morning: Our little doggie Poochie, pulled on the lead as we passed the property, and did his business on the old man’s lawn. I always pick the droppings up with a plastic bag. There was the usual terrible reaction as the old man came charging at me shouting and swearing. My husband had been trying to start the car with a crank handle and as the madman came rushing towards him he hit him with the crank handle.’

  ‘Don’t worry Mrs. Manners, I’ll deal with this: Is your 

husband home? I will need him to be here.’

    ‘Yes Constable: He’s indoors, he will be a great help with your enquiries.’

   The policeman took a deep breath and picked his radio up! 

  ‘Can I have backup, urgently please!’

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

MY SONG

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THURSDAY 15th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY 

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’ ~ 

Prompt ~ SONG

MY SONG

by John Yeo

My natural song is music to my ear
Resounding around my comfortable chair,
My song will begin and end as I sit here.

~

The magic of the song swirls far and near,
Harmony soaking through melodic air;
My natural song is music to my ear.

~

Smooth melodies drifting sweetly clear,
Sounds around my chair answer a prayer;
My song will begin and end as I sit here.

~

Life becomes love becomes music clear;
A dreamy soulful symphony where
My natural song is music to my ear.

~

Trance becomes a pre-hypnotic tear,
Memories sing of a future I will share
My song will begin and end as I sit here.

~

The music with my chair wings steer
My mind to crystal clarity without care.
The natural sound of music to my ear
My song will begin and end as I sit here.

~

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved



WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

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WEDNESDAY 14th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY 

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’ ~ 

Prompt ~ WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

S/he said
Pause whatever you’re doing, and ask the person nearest you what they’re thinking about (call someone if you have to). Write a post based on it.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

by John Yeo

 The person seated next to me responded with ‘I’m reading the newspaper.’  Which happened to be an online version of the ‘Daily Mail.’  I am aware that one of the prime reasons for this  choice of newspaper is the crossword puzzles and mind games that go some way to the alleviation and defence against dementia. The news is almost a bi-product of the investment in purchasing the newspaper. I then asked,

‘What would you be reading if it wasn’t for the puzzles and mind games? In that particular newspaper?

 The unsurprising reply came as, ‘I’m not sure, probably The Independent.’ This reply was obviously based on the more serious aspect of buying a newspaper as an independent slant on the news.

   This response got me thinking about the influences that shape the mind. Most people’s habits of thought and inspiration come from the newspapers that we tend to devour on a daily basis. A constant flow of opinion and the slants on what is happening in the world is ingested and percolated from our reading habits. Usually our choice of newspaper is not so much dictated by our parents, but largely influenced by their choice of newspaper. Until we get to our further education establishment where we develop our own instinctual choices. 

 The wide variety of news sources today allows us to ingest the news in many different ways including the single daily take of our regular morning newspapers.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

by John Yeo



‘What are you thinking about?’

‘The trail is very obscure,
Many twists and turns
Millions have come this way
The path is very well worn.’

~

‘What are you thinking about?’

‘Across the seas, another shore,
There are many signs,
Many corners, many directions,
Many examples to follow.’

~

‘What are you thinking about?’

‘One door unlocks another door,
The instinct quickly learns
The only way is forward,
Be kind, be gentle, be firm.’

~


‘What are you thinking about?’

‘Your trail began at birth,
Already the myriad clues and signs
Were building a pattern to follow.
The learning never ends.’



© Written by John Yeo, All rights reserved.

JANUARY

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TUESDAY 13th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY 

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’ ~ 

Prompt ~ GLIMMER

JANUARY


by John Yeo



Fireworks explode brightly, lighting up the sky
As January bows in on the back of the old year.
Long dark nights and short cold wintry days.
A glimmer of hope for brand new beginnings.

~

Frosty rime sparkles on the bare earth fields.
The silence is suddenly, sweetly shattered.
As a Blackbird bursts into melodious song.
When England awakes on a January morning.

~

New hopes to build, new dreams, new plans.
January arrives signalling new beginnings.
The seed is now dormant in the frosty earth
Awaiting  conditions for growth and rebirth.

~

Lisa, lying prone in a hospital ward 
Feeling birth-pains acutely as a girl is born.
Tom smiles and cuddles them affectionately.
Their child is the future and a new beginning.

~

Her name will be a symbol of  renewed hope
She will be named after her birth month,

Their hopes, their dreams and plans for the future
Will be securely fixed on January, their daughter.

A glimmer of hope for brand new beginnings.

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

DECISIONS? ~ DECISIONS?

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 MONDAY 12th APRIL 2021 ~ FLASH FICTION ~ POETRY 

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’ ~ Prompt ~ DECISIONS, DECISIONS


How are you more likely to make an important decision — by reasoning through it, or by going with your gut?


Personally I tend to tailor my decisions to the situation I am making the decision about, as I humorously describe in my little piece of poetic Flash Fiction below.

DECISIONS? ~ DECISIONS?

by John Yeo

   The fictional garden needs a lot of work and we are at the planning stage. I would say this internal dialogue suggests that in this case there was a lot of reasoning through the problem involved.

  ‘I think if we cut the trees down, we can lay lawns and have a lake for wild-fowl, with flower beds and borders. We can build a summer-house with many arbours and marble statues everywhere. Nature can be modelled, shaped and controlled.’

   ‘No! Why not have a forest garden and encourage wildlife with deer, squirrels and much birdlife. A natural garden would be best, we don’t need the artificiality of manicured lawns and borders, that is too much like hard work. Nature always wins in the end, whatever we do.’

  “We can always concrete the whole area over and build high-rise flats, we could make a lot of money that way. Nature would take a long time to win then!’

  ‘Now you are being silly, I know you don’t like to be overlooked and feel crowded, I see a natural garden, where we keep the trees and shrubs. We would have our isolation with privacy to write and create. We will have a vegetable plot with chickens in the middle of our own forest. Nature would be our friend and we would both win then.’

  ‘Yes! We can build a small gallery with workshops and encourage a community of artists and writers. We will build cabins in the yard and sell our work in the gallery shop. Nature would be our partner and our friend.’

  © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

THE HEAD MAN’S DECISION 

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 MONDAY 12th APRIL 2021

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’ ~

Prompt ~ DECISIONS, DECISIONS


How are you more likely to make an important decision — by reasoning through it, or by going with your gut?


Personally I tend to tailor my decisions to the situation I am making the decision about, as I humorously describe in my little piece of poetic Flash Fiction below.

THE HEAD MAN’S DECISION 

by John Yeo

I made up my mind to take action

Entirely fed up with the situation

I decided to make a firm decision 

To resolve the ongoing friction.

~

The moment passed in a flash

My finger was on the button.

Do you realise what you are doing?

Have you thought of the side effects?

~

I stopped and my finger hovered,

I had thought the whole thing through,

The good that would come of the effect.

I firmly returned to my intention.

~

I thought of the change this would bring

To the future of my head appearance

I looked in the mirror, raised the can

Then firmly pressed the button.

~

A jet of hairspray solved the problem.

~

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

LUMINESCENT AQUAMARINE

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SATURDAY 10th APRIL 2021 ~ POETRY

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’

Prompt ~ LUMINESCENT

Photo credit by Kris Williams

BIOLUMINESCENCE 

by John Yeo

Photographers and nature lovers have been watching bioluminescent plankton glowing off the Welsh coast.

Bioluminescence describes the light that some living creatures, such as fireflies and jellyfish, emit from their cells.

Photographer Kris Williams captured the above sighting in  Beaumaris, Anglesey in Wales.

  To discover vivid natural bioluminescent plankton, one of the best places is in the Indian Ocean.

Travellers to  the exotic waters, surrounding the islands of the Maldives, may be treated to a dazzling natural phenomenon that turns the night-time ocean into a field of glowing stars.

As waves break on the sandy shore, or bare feet step into wet sand, a bright blue glow appears. This magical effect is caused by the bioluminescent plankton that often appears in warm coastal waters. 

A trip to the Maldives could be on our bucket list when we are finally allowed to travel again.

LUMINESCENT AQUAMARINE

By John Yeo

Aqua, a description of water,

Marine, a perfectly placid sea.

Blue, a reflection of heaven

The watery world we inhabit.

Aquamarine is the colour of our orb.

Bioluminescence is caused by

disturbed plankton at the seashore 

Vividly flashing a pale blue light.

~

Earth is blue in the black of space,

Water, our lifeblood, the key.

All life washed ashore from the blue sea

Covering the land with our family.

Aquamarine is the colour of life.

Bioluminescence is created by

disturbed plankton at the seashore 

Emitting a pale blue aura.

~

Translucent depths of a metal hue,

A moon at night of a deep dark blue.

Reflecting a seascape of luminescence

Thoughtful deep dreams in the blue half-light

Aquamarine is the colour of night.

Bioluminescence is created by

disturbed plankton at the seashore 

Shining with a pale blue aura.

©~ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

INCUBATE

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FRIDAY 9th APRIL 2021 ~ POETRY

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’

Prompt ~Incubate

INCUBATE

by John Yeo

Bird lays eggs

in her nest

provides warmth

~

from soft down

incubates.

Chicks soon hatch.

~

Hunt for food

nestlings grow 

and soon fledge.

~

This is a Tricubes poetry form.

Each line contains three syllables.

Each stanza contains three lines.

Each poem contains three stanzas

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

~~~~~~

FREEDOM


by John Yeo


We survived the unruly protection of the nest,
There were two of us left on the final day
Pushing and fighting for survival of the fittest
The others died slowly and wasted away.
One day we were forced to fend for each other.
Pushed into flight by our parents insisting
Our shining iridescent plumage glistened over
As our feathers formed and became powerful wings.
~
Gliding, soaring gracefully, a bird on the move,
A fully fledged miracle flying in heaven’s high.
Soaring close to the clouds floating above.
Survival in the folds of an unpredictable sky.
Calling loudly with a natural melody
Revelling in a new found freedom of spirit.
A powerful instinctive natural urge to belong
To the freedom of the life we were now to inherit.

© ~ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.

EASTERN AUSTRALIA

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FRIDAY 9th APRIL 2021

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘The Last Post on WordPress’

PROMPT DO-OVER

Go back to a blog post you always thought could be better, or were unsatisfied with – now, fix it.

( Blog post resurrected from Wednesday 6th March 2018)

  This post was deficient in that there was no indication that it took place in Eastern Australia and it was lacking any photographs. I hope this has fixed those unsatisfactory problems.

I had a habit of getting up early and walking along in the local nature reserve. I went for my first walk through the natural woodland in the park with the camera, the weather was cloudy and threatening to rain, I had decided to risk a soaking. There were not many birds around to photograph, although I was aware of the usual cacophony of sound from the trees and scrub in the woods. 

  The first bird I came across was my old friend the brush turkey who was in the process of building a nest in exactly the same spot as he did fourteen months ago when we were here last. I shot some photographs of him hard at work and wandered along the track which was quite muddy from the incredible rainfall here of late and I was forced to turn back and retrace my steps. 

On the way I was met by my friend the dog walker, a man who I had met in the same place walking his dog when we were here last. Then the rain suddenly came and I was soaked to the skin, within minutes I sheltered under some enormous Palm tree leaves and waited for it to stop. I heard a rustle behind me and I was just in time to  photograph another brush turkey. 

The rain stopped and I was able to continue on my way.   As I was nearing home I noticed some movement in a beautiful Golden Penda tree which was in full bloom and covered with lovely yellow flowers. These trees are everywhere in this area, and they are all covered with pretty yellow blossom at this time of the year. To my surprise and delight there were several rainbow lorikeets feeding on the nectar produced by these wonderful flowers, and I quickly snapped a photograph of the lorikeets feeding, until I was noticed by the birds and they flew off.

© ~ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.